Tailgating tops list for driving bad behaviour

Britain's most annoying driving behaviours have been revealed in a new poll, and it's the dangerous practice of tailgating that gets us most hot under the collar.

Car insurance specialist Admiral commissioned YouGov to survey 2,500 drivers as part of the annual Admiral Survey of Motorists, and found the aggressive act of tailgating is top of the list, with over three quarters (79%) of motorists saying it infuriates them. Next was not indicating (70%) followed by cutting up (64%) and not paying attention (64%).

The full list of what annoys motorists most about other road users is as follows:

Tailgating 79%
Not indicating 70%
Cutting up 64%
Not paying attention 64%
Hogging the middle lane 55%
Driving too slowly 52%
Not saying thank you when you give way 44%
Speeding 30%
Racing at traffic lights and junctions 22%
 
Sue Longthorn, Admiral managing director, said, "Tailgating is incredibly dangerous, so it's not a surprise to see how much it annoys motorists. Not leaving enough room should the car in front need to brake can lead to accidents as you need time to react. Some motorists even think it's acceptable to intimidate the driver in front by driving very close to them, which is totally unacceptable.

"Not indicating and cutting up can also prove dangerous for yourself and other drivers. And there could be other consequences, as if the police catch you, convictions for dangerous or careless driving can range from three penalty points on your licence to two years in jail."

Alongside these annoying driving behaviours, it appears the nation's roads have become a worse place to be over the years. In fact, 62% of the motorists Admiral surveyed agree that road users are less courteous than five years ago and 69% agree that they get irritated by the lack of courtesy from other road users.